It's Not Always Rainbows and Butterflies
by Ashlified
Summary: The house just seems so empty." KirstenSandy angst. Post-finale.


A/N: I don't know where the hell this came from, but whatever. Post-finale.

Disclaimer: Don't Own It.

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies_

_It's compromise that moves us along. - Maroon 5_

The house just seems so empty.

It has been a month and both her boys were still away. And there wasn't a damned thing she could do about it. She blamed herself, of course. And Sandy. She blames Sandy for way too much then he deserves, but it's how she copes.

Sandy comes in from the pool house, where he's being sleeping since the two don't even share words anymore. And if they do, they are fighting words. They can't talk to each other unless it has to involve Seth or Ryan and the subject of either makes her get on edge.

Sandy takes out his thermal mug from the cabinet and pours a cup of coffee. He's not going to give in. He steals a glance towards Kirsten as she looks down at her mug, running her index finger along the rim. He finishes pouring his coffee and walks out of the kitchen, without a word.

How has it come to this? How has she lost all three of the men in her life? Sandy has been her rock for eighteen years, and now they can't even say two words to each other in the morning. She finishes her coffee and heads to another day of work. Her life, Kirsten decides, officially sucks.

Sandy is home first for the first time since Ryan and Seth left and he takes a good look at the house. He sets his briefcase down on the kitchen island and makes his way upstairs to Seth's room. For some reason, he goes into Seth's room cautiously, as if Seth was really in there himself. He wants to believe that his son is laying on his bed, headphones in and Captain Oats on his lap. But he's not. He's on a freakin' boat somewhere and has caused a bigger rift in his family than any wave in the ocean.

He scans the room and gently touches the photo frames, the posters, the computer. On Seth's shelf there is a picture of Seth and Sandy when Seth was five. Kirsten took the picture and secretly put it in Seth's room one day. Seth disapproved, but let it stay anyway.

"_But mom!" Seth yelled. "When I bring all the ladies home, they're not gonna want to see a picture of me and Dad!" Seth flopped onto his bed and jokingly pounded his pillow with his fists._

"_Seth, stop. This is such a cute picture! Look how small you were! And look how handsome your father was. You guys were at the beach and your father just got out of the water. And look at you, and that matted down hair. My two favorite boys. Well, I have three now." Kirsten smiled._

"_Mom, seriously. Am I supposed to tell you how handsome Dad is?"_

"_No, that's alright. I already know that for myself." Kirsten laughed and placed the frame on Seth's shelf and marched out of his room. Seth took the frame down and sat on his bed and really studied the picture. His Dad and him looked so happy. He was glad that Ryan came into their life, because he hasn't seen his family this happy in years._

Sandy took the frame down and sat down on Seth's bed. He clutched the frame against his chest, allowing a tear or two to fall. He lies down on the bed and closes his eyes, thinking of all the great times he has spent with Seth – and Ryan. His family has crumbled, and it kills him that he can't do anything about it.

Sandy was startled when he felt the left side of the bed sink down a bit. He slowly opened his right eye and saw Kirsten sit down with her back to him. He wanted to pretend like he didn't see her, that he was sleeping, but that's not what he really wants. He sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed, mere inches away from Kirsten's body.

Kirsten looks over at Sandy and suddenly he looks so small, so defeated. She notices his eyes are a bit red and that he must've been crying. She looks behind him and sees the picture she took twelve years ago. She picks it up and kisses her two fingers and then places them right in the middle of Sandy and Seth in the picture. She turns her head again and now Sandy is really crying. It's the first time the silence has been broken between them for weeks, and Kirsten finds it odd that now he is the one that needs comforting. She impulsively grabs Sandy and they lie back on Seth's bed, Sandy quietly crying and Kirsten strokes his hair. He props himself up on one hand and looks right into Kirsten's eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. This is my fault too. We can handle this. Together," Kirsten whispers. She places an assuring hand on Sandy's cheek and wipes away the tears that he finally cried.

"I love you, you know that?"

"I sure do. And you know what else I know?"

"What's that?"

"I'm gonna kick Seth's ass for making us go through all this. And Ryan too."

"I'm with ya on that one." Sandy lets out a small smile, and Kirsten is suddenly filled with joy that she has finally seen her husband smile. That they can laugh and cry together. This is what she wanted from the beginning. This is what they needed.

He lies back down in her arms and they fall asleep together. He won't be sleeping in the pool house tonight.


End file.
